William Morris Primary School

Inspection of William Morris Primary School William Morris Way, Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 2PP

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jo Fraser. This school is part of The Blue Kite Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gary Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Pauline Miller. 22 and 23 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, friendly and inclusive school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum. Pupils are excited to learn. As a result, there is a purposeful buzz of learning throughout the school. Pupils persevere when learning becomes challenging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are a credit to the school. Their behaviour is impeccable. Pupils are extremely polite, kind and respectful towards each other and adults. Pastoral provision is strong. Staff care deeply for pupils and prioritise their mental health and well-being. The school forges supportive relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe at school. Most pupils attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Early years provision is exceptional. Children become engrossed in a wide variety of stimulating and creative activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wealth of opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural awareness. For instance, they undertake in-depth studies of famous musicians, or artists such as Klimt and Monet.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate the way in which the school goes above and beyond for their children. Parents praise the school’s work in teaching their children to be the best they can be.

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better?

The school is firmly committed to providing a high-quality education for all pupils. The school has created a rich curriculum. In most subjects, this precisely identifies the knowledge and skills the school expects pupils to learn. Lessons are carefully sequenced to help pupils know and remember more.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. The school makes learning interesting. For example, children in Nursery develop their understanding of rhyme and communication when they choose objects such as ‘bug’ and ‘jug’ to go in the ‘silly soup’. The school has successfully embedded a new phonics programme. Phonics teaching is consistently strong. Pupils who need help to keep up receive precisely focused support. This enables pupils to become more confident and accurate readers. Pupils routinely learn wider reading skills such as comprehension, prediction and dictionary work. They thoroughly enjoy book club and story time, which motivates them to read for pleasure.

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better?

The school carefully plans focused pastoral and academic support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables pupils to become fully involved in all that the school offers. As a result, pupils progress well through the intended curriculum. 22 and 23 November 2023

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Staff have a secure subject knowledge in most subjects they teach. They carefully model and explain what they want pupils to learn. They check pupils’ understanding and adapt learning when necessary. This supports pupils to build knowledge well.

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In most subjects, pupils use previous learning to help them to build on what they already know. For example, through their studies of Pompeii, pupils learn how volcanoes erupt. They use this knowledge to consider the impact of volcanic eruptions on people’s lives. However, in a minority of subjects, assessment does not routinely identify when pupils have gaps in their learning. In these subjects, pupils do not have a secure understanding of what they have learned previously. This hinders how well they can learn new concepts.

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Pupils understand the school’s high expectations of them and have a thirst for learning. As a result, they listen intently and become thoroughly immersed in their work. P upils achieve well in most subjects.

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Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils are confident that staff will sort out any problems that might occur. Pupils confirm they can share any worries with adults in the school.

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The early years curriculum is skilfully designed, taught and assessed. As a result, children consistently achieve well. The school provides activities that spark children’s curiosity and sustain their concentration. For example, children are fascinated to investigate how far toy cars travel down a length of pipe. They enjoy making ‘Gruffalo crumble’.

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The school’s support for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. For instance, pupils develop important life skills, such as cooking and sewing. Pupils build their independence and confidence when they attend the ‘stargazing sleepover’. Pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as classroom helpers and school councillors. They learn to be active citizens when they raise money for charity and donate items to the food bank. Pupils develop their talents and interests through exciting activities such as ballet, performing arts and hockey.

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The trust supports the school well. Morale is high because staff value the support the school provides for their professional development and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school does not use assessment well. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and struggle to learn new concepts. The trust 22 and 23 November 2023

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should ensure that assessment is used effectively to identify and rectify gaps in what pupils know and can do so they build knowledge well across the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 22 and 23 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school opened in 2019 and is still growing. The school currently has pupils from Nursery to Year 4.  The school provides breakfast and after-school care for pupils.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 22 and 23 November 2023

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 Inspectors held several meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. They also met with the special educational needs coordinator and the early years leader.  The lead inspector held a meeting with local governors. They also had separate meetings with the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and religious education. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in science and writing. They reviewed a sample of pupils’ books.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including during breakfast club, breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the staff and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 2023

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and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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